Name and number plate for rural mail boxes



March 17, 1925.

' G. G. B. DENNEWITH NAME AND NUMBER PLATE FOR RURAL MAIL BOXES Filed April 1l ibm Patented Mar. 17, 1925.

UNITED STATES P A'TfEN T 'OSF-'1F LCE.

`ivnivrnalvn .NUMBER rLA'rE nonv RURAL MAIL Boxns.

Application filed April 11, '1924. SerialNo. 705,833. i

T all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, GENoN G. B; DENNE- WITH, va citizen of the V"United States, residing at Minneapolis, in the county offHennepin and State of Minnesota, have invented Certain new and -useful Improvements in Name and Number Plates for Rural Mail Boxes; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention has for its object to provide an extremely simple and highly efficient name and number plate, the identifying characters of which are entirely protected from the weather. Said name and number plate while intended for general use is especially adapted for application to rural mail boxes, and when thus used, three thereof will be employed, one of which will bear the owners name, another of which will bear the route number, and the other of which will bear the box number.

To the above end, generally stated, the invention consists of the novel devices and combinations of devices hereinafter described and defined in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate the invent-ion, like characters yindicate like parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a mail box having three of my improved name and number plates attached thereto;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary edge elevation of the name and number plates;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view of a cover member Fig. 4 is an edge elevation of the same;

Fig. 5 is a transverse section taken on the line 6 6 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 6 is a transverse section taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1.

The numeral 7 indicates a standard rural mail box, to which three of my improved name and number plates are secured, the upper of which bears the name of the owner, and the lower left of which bears the route number and the lower right of which bears the box number. As all of these name and number plates are identical the one with the other, the description of one will suflice for the others.

My improved name and number plate comprise-s a channel-shaped metal back member 8, the sides of whichfare -turnedinward toward eachother to afford -a pair of longitudinal retaining flanges 9. The 1bac'k1member 8 is extendedrto 4form exten- :sions 10 which project outward :of the reta'ining flanges '9 vand are'apertured `to re- I ceive vnut-equipped bolts 11 by which the improved name and number plate is secured to the mail box 7 Of course, various different fastening devices may be used.

On the bottom of the channeled back member 8 vand extended under the retaining flanges 9 is a pliable backing 12 of water-proof material such as tar paper. Overlying the backing 12 is a flexible transparent cover member 13, of celluloid, and has on its ends U-shaped clips lll. The back sections of these clips extend the full Width of the cover member 13 and hence project under the retaining flanges 9, and the front sections thereof terminate at the longitudinal edges of said retaining flanges. The retaining flanges 9 are tightly pressed into the cover member 13 to hold said cover member and backing in position and to form weather-tight joints between the back member 8 and the cover member 13.

Between the backing 12 and the cover member 13 are identifying characters 15. Preferably, these characters are independently formed and applied directly to the inner face of the cover member 13 and are covered with water-proof material. These identifying characters 15 may be colored so that they may be easily read at a considerable distance.

As one means of attaching the identifying characters 15 to the cover member 13, said cover member, at its inner face, may be varnished and allowed to dry and then again varnished and the characters positioned thereon while the varnish is wet. A third coat of varnish is then applied to the inner face of the cover member 13 and identifying characters 15 to protect the same from dampness and the weather. After the identifying characters are applied to the cover member, said cover member is slipped endwise under the retaining flanges 9 and then said flanges are pressed onto said cover member.

By thus mounting the identifying characters, the same are securely protected from dust, dirt and the weather s0 that the identifying characters are always bright and do not have to be refinished.

a channel backv member, the sides of which' are turned inward to afford retaining flanges, a flexible transparent cover member having at its inner face identifying oharacters,rsaid retaining flanges being pressed onto the covermember to form Weather-proof joints, and U-shaped clips secured to the ends of said cover member.

2. The structure defined in claim v1 in which the back section of said clips are eX- tended under the retaining flanges and rthe front sections thereof terminate at the longitudinal edges of the retaining ianges.

3. The structure defined in claim l in further combination with a pliable backing between-the back and cover members.

1l. The structure defined in claim l in which the ends of the back member are eX- tended outward of the ends of the retaining flanges, and in further combination With fastening devices for securing said ends to a support. v Y y In ytestimony whereof I affix my signai ture.

GENON G. B. DENNEVVITH. 

